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That opportunity to ask about the fire victims came when Willoughby called us out to Antelope Street to discuss a social program that he says the City Council is rolling out. It’s designed to help the poor residents of the city who cannot pay their property tax.
So, here’s how it works. If you are a property owner in Belize City, and you can show with sufficient proof that you cannot pay taxes due to the City, there is a possibility that you may qualify for a tax write-off. 

It’s a section of the laws already in the books where the taxpayer can show that he or she is, quote, “poor and indigent, and unable to pay the rate on the propertyâ€￾. We got a chance to speak with the Antelope Street residents who will be the first to benefit from this program, of course with the intercession of an election-crazed “Philloughbyâ€￾. Here’s what they told us:

Ryan Davis - Antelope St. Resident
"The other day I see a property land tax come up, they bring it here and it said on the tax that my grandmother is supposed to go to court in the morning but my grandmother hasn't been here for the past 4 years. Understand me miss, she drop sick, she can't hear, walk nor see, she is in bed."

Reporter
"And then you guys can't afford the property tax yourselves?"

Ryan Davis
"No ma'am because it's about 5 or 6 thousand and we don't have any job, we can't pay it."

Reporter
"So who all lives here along with you?"

Ryan Davis
"Me, my uncle and my brother and sister and her family."

Reporter
"And none of you have job or ability to pay this tax?"

Ryan Davis
"Only two of us have jobs in the place and we can't reach the amount of money to pay the land tax."

Edwin Davis - Antelope St. Resident
"We were trying to make a change in life and my nephew and all of those guys the try do something positive for the youths them and in the programme and thing and I really want they look into that for me, with respect and everything."

Reporter
"I understand you approached the City Hall for assistance?"

Ryan Davis
"We went to Mr. Willoughby, I meet Mr. Willoughby through Mrs. Finnegan and then Mr. Willoughby the try push a little thing to help we right now. So he told me to come speak on his behalf so I'm trying to make him help us same way."

Phillip Willoughby - City Councillor
"Mr. Davis approached me, again we met through Ms. Dianne Finnegan's programme, I'm grateful to be a part of the programme and extend whatever hand and help I can to these young men so he brought this case to me and I took the case to the Ministry of Local Government and I spoke with Hon. Minister Patt and his CEO Mr. Belisle and we had a discussion on it. There's actually two case that I took up just last week and I said rather than just dealing with these two cases, I said let's just call in the media and update the populist as to what can be done in cases like these where it comes to property tax and you are unable to pay, it falls under the towns and property act. The substance law of Belize 29 where it says, where it is brought to the notice of a local authority that any owner of property in its town is poor and indigent and unable to pay the rate on the property or unable to pay more than a portion there of the local authority if satisfied as to the truth of those fact shall before any steps are taken to enforce payment of such rates under this act transmit to the minister for his information and statement of the case containing the name of the owner. And then from there we do the due diligence and then we proceed to write off the tax and give those persons who fall within the law that ease that they need."

But, if you think it looks rather convenient that this program is being rolled out during the election season, we asked the Mayoral aspirant about that as well. Here is how he answered that one:

Phillip Willoughby - City Councillor
"It does two things for us, it take the burden off the property owner who is unable to pay as well as it helps us to clear up our receivables and before it reaches our bad debt, we clear it up through provision for bad debt and that improves our financial position because that uncollectable receivable will be taken off the books. So councillor Hyde sent latch man Cuellar will be asked to deal with the PR aspect of this here on in and then councillor Alifra Elrington will be looking on the legal aspects to facilitate the residence of the city who fits and meet the requirements within the law. So it doesn't affect us, it is money that we won't collect anyway and we are taking this burden or this debt off the less fortunate who are unable to simply pay."

Reporter
"I'm trying to establish it's not a political ploy as opposed to a council policy."

Phillip Willoughby
"The law is the law, the law is the law I don't know how policy overrides law. The law stated what I read to you and it is by virtue of that and that is the merit of the matter."

Daniel Ortiz
"It seems rather convenient, this is election season and shouldn't the council have had this sort of social conscience a long time as you said law is in the books for years."

Phillip Willoughby
"And we apply it when it suits us and probably when it seems fit but the softer side, the social side of the council is what I bring to the table and where I can create any ease or the council can create any ease I am willing to search and dig for those easement for the residence of Belize City. I have always been consistent in being out there in a social way for the residence of this city. If I can risk my life during a disaster, that is more politics than to say how we can help with the reduction and easement of property tax in levied on the residence. Would you not agree with me sir?"

Willoughby says that the council is hoping that residents who believe they qualify will get in touch with City Hall about their case.